It is an agreed fact that education is one of the most lucrative investments in which countries, be it developed or developing economies, could break the chain of poverty, accelerate societal progress, and improve the living standards of their people.
Owing to its incalculable benefits, therefore, countries hugely capitalize to ensure that all children have equal access to education, support them to move up the ladder of success thereby to have a meaningful contribution to their communities and countries.
Ethiopia has gone extra miles in this regard. Over the past two plus decades, the nation has exerted energy to access education for all. Subsequently, remarkable achievements are witnessed. Several schools from nurseries to universities were constructed across the country; and students’ enrolment has seen steady increments.
Particularly, the efforts made to curb the challenges girls face in accessing education, narrow gender disparities and increase the number of female students, have come to fruition. The number has shown significant increases and many female students have succeeded in their education. Breaking the gender stereotypes attached to them, they can achieve their goals though there are still some challenges.
Recently, the Pharo Homosha Girls’ Boarding School, established in Assosa Town, Benishangul Gumuz State with the purpose of promoting female education, cultivating them to the highest levels of academic achievement through providing quality education, graduated its grade 12 students.
Speaking on the occasion, Country Representative for Pharo Foundation Ethiopia Ermias Habte (PhD), said: “Our innovative boarding school project is dedicated to empowering young female students with top-notch education and practical skills that will equip them to become future leaders. We take immense pride in the accomplishments of our students; and anticipate them to pursue their aspirations thus to have a positive impact in their respective communities.”
According to him, the Foundation predominantly focuses on long-term development work rather than short-term humanitarian relief. The Foundation, in addition to providing academic support, is facilitating scholarships for outstanding students to further their education abroad and realize their dreams, Ermias remarked.
Representative of State’s Education Bureau Yohannes Lule, on his part said that education is a crucial aspect of life. It is essential to future success and is a wealth of options in people’s lives. The Ethiopian government is currently concentrating on maintaining high-quality education and stepping up efforts to buttress it at all levels.
“Our country places utmost priority to providing high-quality education for females, and in this regard, the role played by the Pharo Foundation in our State is an exemplary.” Pharo Homosha Girls’ Boarding School Head Akif Naqvi also stated that the School is a vibrant boarding school in which everyone is treated with respect, and encouraged to learn more.
“Our focus on female education is in recognition of the challenges that girls face in accessing quality education in the State, which prevents many from unlocking their full potential. This shapes the School’s vision of achieving all-around academic and personal development of girls- to reach their highest potential, to become future leaders and role models for others. We also offer the STEM education as part of our unique after-school enrichment program.”
As to him, At Pharo Homosha Girls’ Boarding School, students come first. Bringing out the best in each student is School’s diligence and an issue it is committed to. “We believe that students should receive a broad, balanced, and student-centred education. This will develop an effective combination of creativity, confidence, and courtesy, which will equip our young global citizens to cope with the demands of life in the 21st century, wherever they may live in the world. In today’s rapidly changing and challenging world, we believe it to be the school’s primary task to foster a community spirit towards a life-long love of learning and a sense of being responsible citizenship,” he accentuated.
Agertu Diriba is one of the students who scored the highest grade at the School. She told The Ethiopian Herald that the Pharo Foundation is helping students in every possible way and providing a fresh start for them. Homosha School was special, Agertu continued saying, “The school, where we attended our education until grade eight, has limited resources including the necessary learning tools that pupils require such as books and computers, but the Foundation was different in a multitude of aspects.
“We have been nurtured to be self-assured, creative students and given the tools we required. We work on our language abilities and receive encouragement for our interests and pastimes.” She also appreciated the contribution of Head of the Boarding School, Akif, as he has been treating and encouraging them well to be effective. “We were motivated to speak what we have in our minds freely, without worrying about language constraints. The teachers were also more supportive and friendly.
We had a goal to achieve when we first joined the boarding school. We had an ambition to change our lives and pursue higher educational institutions. And now, we want to be role models in our community.” She further elucidated that she wants to do better. “Since I joined the Foundation, I have been using my full potential. I have developed exceptional study habits and learned how to manage my own schedules and requirements. The girls seem to really enjoy their classes, which motivate them to study and work hard,” she added.
Homosha Girls’ Boarding School goes beyond a premium education centre by providing students with an environment where they can regularly be engaged, active and interested. This can be difficult to achieve at private or public schools as both parents become busy and children are surrounded by distractions at home. However, the boarding school helps students grow into a confident, resilient, and resourceful individual.
One of the key benefits of attending boarding schools is that children will be immersed in a first-class learning environment for more than just the standard hours of school. For 24 hours a day, seven days a week, children will be in a place dedicated to their learning and development. The Pharo Foundation Boarding school employs the best teachers and has state-of-the-art facilities to help and support students throughout their education.
The Foundation is a private organization based in the United Kingdom and established in 2011. Committed to the development of Africa, the Foundation has been supporting projects in the Horn of Africa to help improve people’s livelihoods with an emphasis on economic self-reliance and job creation. The project has contributed a lot to the effort geared towards increasing access to education, agriculture, health, water thereby helping improve people’s livelihoods. It is also creating impact and transformational change in the Benishangul Gumuz State, it was learnt.
The Pharo Homosha Girls’ Boarding School, a fully funded girls’ secondary school supported by the Pharo Foundation, has a capacity to enrolled 240 at once. It provides a thorough 4-year education as well as boarding opportunities for female students.
According to the report gathered during the graduation ceremony, the school currently has 156 talented female students, and at least another 70 are expected to be enrolled in grade 9 in the upcoming September, Ethiopian academic year.
Young female students will receive a top-notch, empowering, and useful STEM and skills-based education at this distinctive boarding school. Smaller class sizes allows the school to give each student individualized attention and a rich educational experience.
BY NAOL GIRMA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 1 JULY 2023
